Land Acquisition for Purandar Airport Gains Momentum
The Pune district administration has made significant progress in acquiring land for the proposed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje International Airport in Purandar. The administration has received consent affidavits from farmers for nearly 1,152 acres, which accounts for approximately 38% of the total land required for the project. The entire project demands 1,216 hectares, equivalent to roughly 3,040 acres, spread across seven villages in Purandar taluka.
Compensation Disbursement Underway
District Collector Jitendra Dudi confirmed on Monday that the land acquisition process is moving forward smoothly. Compensation amounting to nearly Rs 150 crore has been directly deposited into the bank accounts of affected farmers over the past week. The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has released around Rs 500 crore for the acquisition, with the remaining funds expected to be transferred to the district administration shortly.
According to officials, farmers will receive a minimum compensation of Rs 1.61 crore per acre. This amount could increase to nearly Rs 2 crore per acre, depending on the presence of houses, orchards, fruit-bearing trees, borewells, pipelines, and other assets on the acquired land.
Notice Issuance and Loan Settlement
The administration has almost completed issuing notices to farmers who have submitted consent affidavits, prior to the execution of final agreements. Dudi stated that notices are being distributed across all seven villages, and the remaining farmers can expect to receive them within two days.
Concerns regarding agricultural loans attached to the acquired land have been addressed. Many farmers had bank loans reflected as liens on their 7/12 extracts. To avoid delays, bank representatives are present during agreement registrations. Compensation amounts linked to outstanding loans are being paid directly to banks through separate cheques. This enables farmers to immediately obtain no objection certificates (NOCs) and complete compensation formalities without hindrance.
Dudi appealed to farmers to disclose details of any existing loans to land acquisition officers to ensure a smooth NOC and payment process. The district administration has also cautioned the public against rumors circulating about the airport project and the compensation process.
